core-components
Core component library and design system patterns. Use when building UI, using design tokens, or working with the component library.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill serves as a comprehensive guide for implementing a standardized Design System and Core Component library. It enables the creation of scalable, maintainable, and visually consistent user interfaces by leveraging design tokens for spacing, typography, and color. By providing clear patterns for layout components and interactive elements, it eliminates technical debt and prevents the use of hard-coded values, ensuring every UI element aligns with professional brand guidelines and frontend best practices.
Use Cases
- Rapid UI Prototyping: Quickly scaffold complex screens using standardized layout patterns like Box, HStack, and VStack to ensure structural consistency.
- Design Token Implementation: Ensure brand alignment by applying semantic tokens for colors, spacing, and typography instead of using hard-coded hex codes or pixel values.
- Code Quality & Refactoring: Identify and correct UI anti-patterns by replacing raw platform components with high-level, theme-aware core components.
- Standardized Form Development: Streamline the creation of accessible and responsive forms using pre-configured Input and Button components that handle loading and error states natively.
| name | core-components |
|---|---|
| description | Core component library and design system patterns. Use when building UI, using design tokens, or working with the component library. |
Core Components
Design System Overview
Use components from your core library instead of raw platform components. This ensures consistent styling and behavior.
Design Tokens
NEVER hard-code values. Always use design tokens.
Spacing Tokens
// CORRECT - Use tokens
<Box padding="$4" marginBottom="$2" />
// WRONG - Hard-coded values
<Box padding={16} marginBottom={8} />
| Token | Value |
|---|---|
$1 |
4px |
$2 |
8px |
$3 |
12px |
$4 |
16px |
$6 |
24px |
$8 |
32px |
Color Tokens
// CORRECT - Semantic tokens
<Text color="$textPrimary" />
<Box backgroundColor="$backgroundSecondary" />
// WRONG - Hard-coded colors
<Text color="#333333" />
<Box backgroundColor="rgb(245, 245, 245)" />
| Semantic Token | Use For |
|---|---|
$textPrimary |
Main text |
$textSecondary |
Supporting text |
$textTertiary |
Disabled/hint text |
$primary500 |
Brand/accent color |
$statusError |
Error states |
$statusSuccess |
Success states |
Typography Tokens
<Text fontSize="$lg" fontWeight="$semibold" />
| Token | Size |
|---|---|
$xs |
12px |
$sm |
14px |
$md |
16px |
$lg |
18px |
$xl |
20px |
$2xl |
24px |
Core Components
Box
Base layout component with token support:
<Box
padding="$4"
backgroundColor="$backgroundPrimary"
borderRadius="$lg"
>
{children}
</Box>
HStack / VStack
Horizontal and vertical flex layouts:
<HStack gap="$3" alignItems="center">
<Icon name="user" />
<Text>Username</Text>
</HStack>
<VStack gap="$4" padding="$4">
<Heading>Title</Heading>
<Text>Content</Text>
</VStack>
Text
Typography with token support:
<Text
fontSize="$lg"
fontWeight="$semibold"
color="$textPrimary"
>
Hello World
</Text>
Button
Interactive button with variants:
<Button
onPress={handlePress}
variant="solid"
size="md"
isLoading={loading}
isDisabled={disabled}
>
Click Me
</Button>
| Variant | Use For |
|---|---|
solid |
Primary actions |
outline |
Secondary actions |
ghost |
Tertiary/subtle actions |
link |
Inline actions |
Input
Form input with validation:
<Input
value={value}
onChangeText={setValue}
placeholder="Enter text"
error={touched ? errors.field : undefined}
label="Field Name"
/>
Card
Content container:
<Card padding="$4" gap="$3">
<CardHeader>
<Heading size="sm">Card Title</Heading>
</CardHeader>
<CardBody>
<Text>Card content</Text>
</CardBody>
</Card>
Layout Patterns
Screen Layout
const MyScreen = () => (
<Screen>
<ScreenHeader title="Page Title" />
<ScreenContent padding="$4">
{/* Content */}
</ScreenContent>
</Screen>
);
Form Layout
<VStack gap="$4" padding="$4">
<Input label="Name" {...nameProps} />
<Input label="Email" {...emailProps} />
<Button isLoading={loading}>Submit</Button>
</VStack>
List Item Layout
<HStack
padding="$4"
gap="$3"
alignItems="center"
borderBottomWidth={1}
borderColor="$borderLight"
>
<Avatar source={{ uri: imageUrl }} size="md" />
<VStack flex={1}>
<Text fontWeight="$semibold">{title}</Text>
<Text color="$textSecondary" fontSize="$sm">{subtitle}</Text>
</VStack>
<Icon name="chevron-right" color="$textTertiary" />
</HStack>
Anti-Patterns
// WRONG - Hard-coded values
<View style={{ padding: 16, backgroundColor: '#fff' }}>
// CORRECT - Design tokens
<Box padding="$4" backgroundColor="$backgroundPrimary">
// WRONG - Raw platform components
import { View, Text } from 'react-native';
// CORRECT - Core components
import { Box, Text } from 'components/core';
// WRONG - Inline styles
<Text style={{ fontSize: 18, fontWeight: '600' }}>
// CORRECT - Token props
<Text fontSize="$lg" fontWeight="$semibold">
Component Props Pattern
When creating components, use token-based props:
interface CardProps {
padding?: '$2' | '$4' | '$6';
variant?: 'elevated' | 'outlined' | 'filled';
children: React.ReactNode;
}
const Card = ({ padding = '$4', variant = 'elevated', children }: CardProps) => (
<Box
padding={padding}
backgroundColor="$backgroundPrimary"
borderRadius="$lg"
{...variantStyles[variant]}
>
{children}
</Box>
);
Integration with Other Skills
- react-ui-patterns: Use core components for UI states
- testing-patterns: Mock core components in tests
- storybook: Document component variants